Featured Artist

James De La Vega, born approximately July 15, 1974, is a Jewish American visual artist of Puerto Rican descent who lives in New York City. He is best known for his street aphorisms and muralist art. He was born in East Harlem, the son of Jaime De La Vega and Elsie Matos, and graduated valedictorian at York Preparatory School and attended Cornell University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He is a former art teacher at York Preparatory School.
 

De La Vega is known as a community-inspiring artist. Those who come across his work know him primarily for his murals and sidewalk chalk drawings. His murals can be found mostly in East Harlem, and his chalk drawings may show up anywhere in Manhattan. His street drawings are usually accompanied by aphoristic messages such as "Become Your Dream." Legally, his outdoor work qualifies as graffiti, although many put them in a separate genre. James De La Vega was a recipient of a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant in 1999.

In July 2003, De La Vega was charged with vandalism for a mural he painted on a blank wall in the Bronx. He was offered one year’s probation in exchange for a guilty plea, but he refused to say he caused “damage” to the property and thus sentenced to 50 hours of community service.

Christie's auction house has featured some of his work, and fans were able to view his more intimate work in his East Village gallery until the location closed in 2010.

It was at the De La Vega  store that the artist realized that though his themes resonated heavily on Hispanic empowerment, his customers were mostly tourists and other admirers of his work. “My audience has always been Latin people, but they have never been a big part of my business,” De La Vega said.

A successful business allows De La Vega, who is also a teacher and motivational speaker, to do his most important job — use art to help society see itself.

“Artists are the most important members of society,” he said. “When I say artists, I mean the creative spirit, whatever form that takes. It’s a force that attempts to show a way, a purpose.”

“We’re creating a new language, a new way of seeing the world,” he said. “When we go out and use simple text and our iconic fish images, we’re developing a language people can take in, can understand.”